Children&#39;s play apparatus



Mam}! 1965 L. A. MERDICH ETAL 3,171,651

CHILDREN'S PLAY APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11, 1963 Lou/'5 A Merdlb/z 2i Rafe/"P. BY

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,171,651 QillLiBi-RENS PLAY APPARATUS Louis A. Merdich, 1118 Wilshire Drive, and Peter R.

Merdich, 1150 Wilshire Brit/e, both of Youngstown, @hio Filed Feb. ll, 1963, Ser. No. 257,417 2 Qlaims. (6i. 272-33) This invention relates to childrens play apparatus particularly adapted for use by young children.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of childrens play apparatus usable as a sandbox, picnic table and childs walker.

A further objecb of the invention is the provision of childrens pla Y apparatus incorporating a central support member to which the picnic table and childs walker are attached and from which central support member said table and walker may be removed.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of childrens play apparatus which may be used as a wading pond, a seat for a picnic table and a part of a babys walker so that the device may be used over a number of years as the child is growing.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation with parts in cross section and parts broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal view on line 22 of FIG- URE 1 on a smaller scale than FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the device shown in FEGURE 1.

By referring to the drawings, and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that a combination sandbox, childs walker and picnic table has been disclosed which com prises primarily a sandbox having a flat floor member iii, an annular side wall 31 an out-turned annular flange 12 thereabout which is supported at intervals circumferentially spaced therearound by a plurality of triangular support webs l3, 15. The flat iloor member it) is preferably provided with a reinforcing corrugated support 14 positioned therebelow and secured thereto and the flat floor member and its annular wall 13 and annular flange 12 may be advantageously formed of fiber glass, as may be the reinforcing member The sandbox thus formed is circular in top plan view and is particularly suitable for use as a sandbox or a wading pond and it will be observed that the annular flange 12 provides a convenient seat adjacent thereto.

LGCvtSd centrally of the hat flOOl member to there is a flanged socket 1d, several circumferentially spaced radially extending flanges 16 being formed integral therewith and joining the same to a base 17 which is apertured so that fasteners may be used to secure it to the floor member iii. A tubular member 19 which is elongated and positioned vertically in the socket 15 extends there above and has a plurality of apertures 2%, 2t} transversely thereof. An annular bearing 21 having an apertured sleeve 22 therebelow is positioned on the tubular member 19 above the socket 155 and acts to rotatably support a collar 23 which is secured to one end of an adjustable arm 24, the outer end of which has a vertically disposed tubular socket 25 therein positioned over a leg 26, the lower end of which is bifurcated as at 27 and provided with a wheel 28 which is positioned on the annular flange l2 heretofore referred to. A seat 29 is secured to the arm 24- midway between its ends so that a small child positioned therein can move annularly around the sandbox with the wheel supporting one end of the arm 24 and the bearing 21 supporting the other end where it engages the collar 23.

Still referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that both the collar 23 and the tubular socket 25 on the arm 24 may be adjusted vertically so that the seat 29 may be positioned in a desirable height relationship to the floor member ill. A secondary tubular member Call is positioned on the tubular member 1% and is apertured so that it may be pinned thereto by a transversely positioned pin registering with the openings 29 heretofore referred to. A secondary tubular socket 3b is provided with a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced support members 31 by means or" which a circular table top 32 is supported in horizontal relation and spaced with respect to the floor member ill and the annular flange l2 and by still referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that when the table top 32 is in the position illustrated in solid lines it is conveniently disposed relative to the annular flange 12 which forms a seat about the periphery of the table top 32. Alternately, the table top 32 may be elevated on the tubular member 19 and postioned thereon as shown in broken lines in FJIGURE 1 of the drawings. The upper end of the tubular member 19 is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced oppositely disposed openings 33, 33 so that the table top 32 may be held in elevated relation. The openings 33 also serve to position a circular sun shade and cover 34 relative to the rest of the device disclosed herein and which circular sun shade and cover 34 has a centrally located cap-like socket 35 which is positioned on the upper end of the tubular member and secured thereto by a pin passing through apertures 36 therein and engaging one of the openings 33 in the tubulat member 19. A plurality of circumierentiaily spaced radially extending support arms 37, 37 are pivot ally secured to brackets 38 on the under side of the combination sun shade and cover 345 so that the some is adequately supported. The inner ends of the arms 3'7 are pivotally secured to a secondary collar 39 which in turn is secured to the tubular member 19 by a pin positioned through apertures therein and registering with one of the openings 33 therein It will occur to those skilled in the art that the collar 23, the tubular socket Til, secondary collar 39 and the cap 35 may be removed from the vertica ly disposed tubular member 19 either by sliding them ofl? the upper end thereof or by moving the tubular member 19 upwardly and out of the socket 15 and that when some of these devices are removed, the remainder may be compactly located partially within the area of the annular wall it of the device and the combination sun shade and cover 34 may be lowered to form an effective covering for the sandbox as it will register about the periphery of the annular flange i2.

By referring to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, a horizontal or top view of part of the device as seen in FIG- URE 1 may be seen and the proximity of the annular flange 12 which forms the seat with a table top 32 may be seen. It will be observed that the arm 24 heretofore referred to has a circular intermediate section 24A -from which the seat 29 is suspended. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the center tubular post ii? and its flanged socket to and base 17 may be removed from the sandbox by loosening the fasteners 18 and that it may then be positioned on a hoot in a house, for example, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

By referring thereto, it will be seen that the upper end of the tubular member 19 has a telescopicall mounted spring urged extension 19A which in turn is provided with a ceiling engaging member til. Broken lines carry ing the letter C in FIGURE 3 of the drawings indicate a ceiling in a dwelling house and broken lines carrying the letter F indicate a door, and it will be observed that when the tubular member 1% is positioned vertically therebetween, the telescopically mounted spring loaded extension 19A will move upwardly against the ceiling C so as 3 to help hold the tubular member 19 in vertical position. Thus the arm 24 with its vertically positioned leg 26 and wheel 28 may be adjusted so as to engage the floor F whereupon the device may be used indoors as a baby walker which will permit a small child to propel itself in a circle about the tubular member 19. The construction ofthe telescopic portion 19A of the tubular member 19 will be understood by those skilled in the art to include a transversely positioned top member (not shown) in the tubular member 19 against which a coil spring in the lower end of the extension 19A is normally engaged so that the spring tends to move the extension 19A upwardly and out of the tubular member 19. Such constructions have been heretofore Widely used in connection with the so-called pole lamps and the like.

In the present invention, this construction enables an essential part of the combination sandbox, picnic table and childs walker to be used independently of the other parts thereof particularly indoors.

It will thus be seen that the invention disclosed herein possesses several unique functions in that it may be used as a sandbox, a wading pool, a play pen, a baby walker, a picnic table or a game table and the like and that it is provided with a combination sun shade and cover by which the device and its several parts may be covered securely when it is out of doors or when the parts thereof are in use the combination sun shade and cover acts as a suitable roof thereabove.

The several parts, excluding the tubular member 19 and the various collars and sockets engaged thereon, may be conveniently and practically formed of molded fiber glass resin or the like and may therefore incorporate desirable coloring. The table top 32 may also have checker boards and other game boards lithographcd or otherwise formed on its uppermost surface as Will occur to those skilled in the art, and having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. Childs play apparatus comprising a shallow integnal container having a low Wall and an outwardly extending annular continuous seat thereabout, an upright member disposed centrally thereof, support means engaging said upright member arranged for vertical and rotary motion relative thereto and a wheeled support engaging said continuous seat for motion relative thereto and an arm including a seat extending between said support means and said wheeled support in elevated relation to said continuous seat and said container, acentrally apertured table top slidabl secured to said upright member above said support means thereon and movable vertically relative thereto.

2. A childs sandbox comprising an open top shallow integral container, an outturned horizontally disposed flange about the upper edge of said container defining a seat, a central vertical post in said container, a centrally apertured fiat table member disposed on said post and movable vertically thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 341,167 5/86 Pudder 273*33 671,058 4/01 Resetar 273-33 1,572,630 2/ 26 Whiteside 272 1 2,199,915 5/40 Howard 272-1 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

2. A CHILD''S SANDBOX COMPRISING AN OPEN TOP SHALLOW INTEGRAL CONTAINER, AN OUTTURNED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FLANGE ABOUT THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID CONTAINER DEFINING A SEAT, A CENTRAL VERTICAL POST IN SAID CONTAINER, A CENTRALLY APERTURED FLAT TABLE MEMBER DISPOSED ON SAID POST AND MOVABLE VERTICALLY THEREOF. 